Caravaggio’s Madness and his secret gay life

Caravaggio’s madness and his secret gay life

Michelangelo Mesisi better known as “il Caravaggio” was born in Milan in 1571. He is one of the most famous Italian painters of all times.

Caravaggio started an internship in Milan in 1584 with Simone Peterzano, a painter based on the Mannerism, a style that exaggerates proportion, balance and ideal beauty, often with results of sophisticate and elegant paintings.

Caravaggio moved to Rome in 1593 and found protection on the Cardinal Francesco Maria del Montee who gave him a shelter and helped him with his career. In 1594, he met Mario Minniti, a twenty-year-old guy, and took him to live with him.

There were another relations that Caravaggio had with different guys, but the relationship that Caravaggio had with Minitti is the only one known to be called as a couple.

David with the Head of GoliathJohn the Baptist

Caravaggio has another casual relations with other boys and models like Cecco del Caravaggio model of “John the Baptist” or Il Caravaggino model of the “David with the Head of Goliath”.

Even though the successful carrer Caravaggio was having, he often was involved in fights and his criminal record was getting worse. In one of the fights he killed Ranuccio Tommasoni and moved to Sicily and then Naples.

Caravaggio died probably of malaria, near to Rome, where he probably was waiting for the help of his powerful friends in Rome to get absolved and get grace for him.